RURAL METH LABS CONCERN LOCAL POLICE

Police agencies, municipalities, real estate agents and health regions are
going to have to work together to stop crystal meth producers from setting
up shop in Alberta, High River's 'top cop' told Foothills council this week.

On Thursday, RCMP Staff Sgt. Glen Plustwa warned council that crystal
methamphetamine labs could already be up and running in the MD. He pointed
to the recent raid of a barn near Didsbury where police seized
approximately 10 kilograms of crystal meth with a street value of more than
$500,000.

"This is an example of a major, major lab in a rural area. This is not a ma
and pa operation. If this happened in Blackie, there is good probability it
would blow-up and take out half the block with it," Plustwa said.

In order to combat the growing meth problem, Calgary police and area RCMP
are teaming up with the Calgary Real Estate Board and the Calgary Health
Region on a new project.

Plustwa said by sharing information with one another, the involved agencies
stand a much better chance of identifying and dismantling highly explosive
meth labs before the unthinkable happens.

"There will be a package sent to all civic leaders so they have an
understanding of what we are up against and how they can help," he added.

Meanwhile, High River RCMP quarterly statistics are showing a rise in
overall crimes in its detachment area, which includes the surrounding area
of the Foothills MD. In the same timeframe in 2004, 568 incidents had been
reported to the RCMP compared to 714 this year, said Plustwa.

Despite the increase, the detachment remains short-staffed, he added.

"We are operating at 1980 figures in the rural part of the detachment area.
The member to population ratio is significantly higher in the rural areas,
(1 to every 1,800 people) than in the urban areas, (1 for every 1,200
people)," he said.

However, police members have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of
false alarms in the Foothills MD in the past year. Plustwa said the
municipality's new bylaw, which allows the MD to fine home and business
owners whose alarms constantly go off without cause, is the reason for
freeing up his officer's time.

"That bylaw has made a big difference for our detachment area. We have only
had to send 12 letters to repeat offenders," he said. "We are quite pleased
with that."